The DASH Diet came in as overall number 1 this year, mostly because it's easy to follow and maintain. The emphasis is placed on eating lots more fruits and

vegetables and limited processed food, extra salt, and red meat. There's no major food group that's off the table and if you need to settle into the diet slowly, that's

totally okay. DASH was made to help people with high blood pressure, so if that's an issue, this diet is even more ideal.

Weight Watchers was number 1 in best diets for weight loss. This year, the company started a "Beyond the Scale" program that had users rely on more than just

their weight to measure progress. This new program had users losing 15% more weight in the first two months than users of the previous model. It also probably helped that

Oprah went on TV and bragged about her weight loss and how she gets to eat bread every day.

Ranked number two is Volumetrics. This one may not be as familiar but it follows some pretty simple ideas. Foods are listed in four categories, from very low-density like

spinach and kale (you get a large amount of food with few calories) to very high-density foods like chips and oils (small amount of food with high calories). You eat

a lot of the low-density foods and few of the high density, that's it!

Ranked 4th, the HMR Program replaces most meals with their branded shakes, frozen meals and bars. Plus, lots of fruits and vegetables. The downside is that you have to buy

specific items for this diet, which may not be ideal if you're on a budget.

Perfect for vegetarians who sometimes need meat. The flexitarian diet focuses on plant based proteins like tofu and beans and getting in lots of fruits and vegetables. Plus, if

you absolutely need a hamburger, that's okay, as long as it's not your daily meal. 

Coming in at number five is the no meat, no dairy, no animal products diet otherwise known as vegan. It's great for weight loss and easy to stay

healthy and get lots of vegetables, but difficult to get enough protein and very restrictive. But if you've been curious about a vegan lifestyle, this is a great time to

give it a try.

Claiming to promote weight loss, reverse diabetes, heart disease, and prostate cancer, the Ornish Diet has a lot to live up to. Ranked #10, the diet groups foods into

categories based on health (as shown in the pyramid above) and severely limits oils and fats.  Exercise is also key to this approach as is stress management. Conquering weight through

physical activity and lowering stress is great, but the diet can be restrictive, placing it lower on the list.

We've all heard of the Atkins Diet and people still swear by it. This high protein, low carb solution does help many people lose weight, though some are

concerned about the high levels of fats and lack of emphasis on vegetables. But, if this is a form of eating you enjoy and can maintain, it's a great way

to lose weight. 

If you like the idea of low carb diets, but don't like the high amounts of meat involved, Eco Atkins is the solution. This a vegetarian/vegan version of

Atkins where you're asked to get a lot of plant protein and plant fats (like nuts and avocados) and some carbs. Though the carbs aren't super high, there's still not

pasta or rice with this diet, you are allowed more than traditional Atkins. A bit of whole wheat bread or oatmeal would be fine. This is ranked high among fast

weight loss diets, but it's very restrictive. If you need to lose weight quickly, give this a try but remember that weight loss in the long term is the most

important, so if this diet doesn't seem sustainable, it's best to try something else.